Geoege smith



l(No Model.)

G. SMITH.

STEAM ENGINE. No. 360,057. Patented Mar. 29, 1887.-

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GEORGE SMITH, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 360,057, dated March 29, 1857,

Application filed July 13, 1886. Serial No. 207,879.

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that i, GEORGE SMITH, of New York city, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates, chiefly, to steam-engines, but includes all power engines, whether driven by steam, air, gas, or liquids.

The object of my invention is to produce an engine of few and simple parts, occupying but little space compared with engines of ordinary types, of'light weight, not liable to get out of order, capable of running in anyposition and at a high rate of speed, economical in the use of the motive uid or liquid at any pressure, transmitting the pressure to the crank-shaft equally at all positions thereof, entirely obviating the dead-center, and embodying other advantageous features, as will appear from a consideration of its construction and mode of operation.

To accomplish all of this my improvements involve certain new and useful peculiarities of construction, relative arrangements or combinations of parts, and principles oi' operation, as will be herein first fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation upon a plane at right angles to the axis of the crank-shaft, the axis being for purposes of illustration located in a horizontal position. Fig. 2 is a view in cross-section through line x .c of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. l, showing the position of the parts after the crank has made a quarter-turn from the point assumed for it in Fig. l.

In all these figures like letters of reference, wherever they occur, indicate corresponding parts.

According to the forni shown in the drawings, A is a square box, within which is the channel a, through which the exhauststeam is conducted to an exhaust-pipe, B, and within the interior of this box all the working parts are located. The sides or ends of the box are closed by plates or heads, as O O, secured in (No model.)

any suitable manner. These contain the bearings for the crankshaft, which bearings may be of any approved form. D is the crank-shaft serving to transmit power, and D is the crankpm.

E is the piston, preferably made in one piece. It is boxed upon the crank-pin, as by the brass box b b, in two parts, with a suitable screw, as c, by which compensation for any wearing may be made. The single piston has four projecting parts, as E El E Ff, each of which is fitted toenterits corresponding cylinder, (represented at F F2 F3 Fi.) The piston thus constructed might be described as being composed of four different pistons, though the four are not independent one of the other. rPhe cylinders bear upon the interior faces of the square box and travel thereon, operating both as valves and cylinders, and obviating the employment of any separate valves, such as ordinarily required. Steam or the motive iiuid or liquid under pressure is admitted to the interior of the square box at any convenient point, as at the port G, and the pressure thereof upon the exposed surfaces ol" the several cylinders holds them to their seats. Vhen the'enginc is to be run in the position shown in the drawings, any simple means may be employed for preventing the upper cylinder from dropping away from its seat when thepressureis removed. In the position shown in Fig. l fullsteam is supposed to be entering at the port f, the pressure ot' which counterbalances an equal amount upon the piston outside of cylinder F, (and acting in the opposite directioin) and permits an equal amount or degree of pressure to be transmitted in a line directly at right angles to the plane through the axis ofthe crank-shaft and that ofthe crank-pin, and thus in the most advantageous direction possible. The movement ot' the piston (and of the cylinders with it)- opens the portf, admitting steam to the outer face of E', the effects upon E and E* being transmitted to the crank-pin in such manner that the resultant pressure is always at right angles to the line above mentioned. As the readily understood.

represented at g g2 q3 g* and the steam-ports atffzfsf. The cylinders arc shown as pro vided with auxiliary passages or channels, as h h, to facilitate exhaustion; but these are not necessary and need not be used. The movements of the piston are peculiar. Each section thereof travels back and forth within its cylinder a distance equal to twice the radius of the crank, and it travels a like distance in the direction of the corresponding face of the box, carrying its lcylinder with it. Any point of the piston will therefore travel in a complete circle, and only those points withiny the limits of the radius ofthe crank will travel around a corresponding or common center. Under the arrangement shown in the drawings, when the engine is running, the pressure within two cylinders will act simultaneously, and this kind of an engine may be properly called a twin-cylinder engine.77 Following the same general principles of arrangement, instead of making the box square or four-sided, it might be made with only two sides finished to form seats for cylinder-valves, or with three such sides, or any greater number ot' such sides. When provided with only two cylinder-valves, the engine might stop upon a dead-center; but with any greater number that would be impossible. 'Ihe engine may be started from any position and with full power.

The construction indicated is extreme] y si n1- ple, the cylinders are similar one to the other, and the whole device is easily made and mounted, or easily dismounted and readily accessible for any required packing or repairs.

The shaft may be run in any position, and the improved engine has been foundin praetice to admirably answer the purpose or object of the invention, as previously stated.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new herein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isy l. In an engine, the piston having two or more connected parts movable back and forth within their respective cylinders, said cylinders being made movable upon their seats and operating as valves, and the crank-pin located at the central part of the piston, the parts being combined and arranged tooperatesubstantially in the manner shown and described.

2. In an engine, the piston composed ofthree or more parts, the correspondingindependent cylinders, movable upon their seats, the box lcontaining the channel for the exhaust, the

seats for thecylinder-valves, and the crankshaft and crank-pin, combined. and arranged substantially as shown and described.

3. The herein-described engine, comprising thecrank-shaftand crank-pin,apiston mounted upon said piu, and having a number of parts surrounding the same and iitted to enter their respective cylinders, the movable cylinders operating as valves, the box containing the steam channels and ports, and the sides or heads, all arranged for operation substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I `have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE SMITH.

Wi t n esses:

SIMON ScnwluzzMANN, FRANK MARSHALL. 

